A Franklin Township man, described as "obese," is suing his former employer for allegedly firing him because of his weight, according to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court. Above, a woman has her waist measured in Chicago in January 2010.AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

SOMERVILLE — After Robert Sulitzer started working in August 2012 for a Bergen County fire safety equipment company, he was feeling positive about himself and his performance, his attorney said.

Now, the 350-pound Franklin Township resident is suing Metro Fire & Safety Equipment Company Inc. for allegedly firing him after less than three weeks on the job because of his weight, according to his attorney and a complaint filed last week in Superior Court.

The lawsuit describes Sulitzer as “obese” and alleges a company employee, who had said the job would “whip” Sulitzer into shape, told him his weight was the reason for his dismissal.

“He thought he was performing to his employer’s expectations, and he was enjoying doing what he was doing,” said Sulitzer’s attorney, Ned Cohn. “He was absolutely shocked.”

James McDonnell, an attorney representing the Carlstadt company, declined today to explain why Sulitzer was fired, but said “it’s not for reasons alleged in the complaint.”

“The company looked into the allegations and found them to be without merit, and the company’s looking forward to being vindicated in the court of law,” McDonnell said.

On or about Aug. 22, 2012, Sulitzer interviewed for a job at Metro Fire with Gary Campbell, the company’s vice president, according to the complaint. Campbell is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Campbell asked Sulitzer whether he was able to walk up stairs and, after Sulitzer said he could, he was hired, the complaint states. Sulitzer’s job duties included stocking vans, unloading fire extinguishers, changing emergency lights, and monitoring, installing and servicing equipment, the complaint states.

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Then, on or about Sept. 7, 2012, a Metro Fire employee known to Sulitzer only as “Tom” called him into his office and told Sulitzer he was being fired because of his weight, the complaint states. Tom said Metro Fire was concerned about Sulitzer’s ability “to do the job and to climb the ladders required for the job,” the complaint states.

Before that meeting, Tom had told Sulitzer the job would “’whip you [plaintiff] into shape’ and as a result of the work, that plaintiff would ‘lose a lot of weight,’” according to the complaint.

Cohn said Sulitzer never thought that his weight was affecting his performance. After being told that his weight was the reason for losing his job, Sulitzer reacted “despondently,” Cohn said.

“It made him doubt himself and made him depressed and unhappy when he came to see me,” Cohn said.